Pill bag

ABSTRACT

A bag for containing pills or medication for example, is made of a heat-weldable sheet material. The sheet material may suitably be a compound sheet material which provides a rear face, a front face and a bottom. Disposed at an upper portion of the bag is a threaded closure comprising a screw-threaded socket and a screw cap. The socket penetrates the top of the bag and is bonded to the interior surface of the bag. The threaded closure permits the bag to be repeatedly opened and closed for piecemeal dispensing its contents.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application incorporates by reference and claims priority toprovisional application No. 60/881,611 filed on Jan. 22, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a small bag made of a heat-weldablesheet material. More particularly, the bag comprises a front face and arear face connected to one another along their edges, with the top ofthe bag being provided with a re-closable threaded closure whichincludes a socket formed with screw threads for engagement with screwthreads of a removable screw cap. This type of bag may be used to safelystorage and provide access to items such as prescription pills. Unlikepill bottles this provides a rattle proof system and may be smaller thanthe average pill bottle so that carrying in small places is facilitated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the typeof bag defined in the introduction, with the socket secured to the bagin such a manner that its connection to the bag is able to resist theforces created by tightening and unscrewing the screw cap, therebyavoiding lost or contamination of the items being stored in the bag.

This object is attained according to the invention by an arrangementwherein the socket of the threaded closure penetrates the bag and hasits outer surface secured to the inner wall surface of the bag by aglue, welding or other securing operation.

There is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,912 a flexible containerprovided with a removable top, the removable top is provide on one ofthe faces of the bag for dispensing liquids as opposed to solid objectssuch as prescription pills. In addition, this bag requires, since thescrew top is on one of the side of the bag as opposed to the top, awelding flange in order to secure the socket to the heat-weldable sheetmaterial.

With the solution according to the present invention it is possible tohave the inner portion of the bag prevent the pills from rattling andyet at the top of the bag provide for ready access to the prescriptionpills from a contaminate proof enclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention shall now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of a pill bag according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the top portion of the bag taken alongthe line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the inner surface of another embodiment ofthe pill bag according to this invention;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the middle surface of the embodiment of FIG.3;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the outer surface of the embodiment of FIG.3; and

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the pill bag of the invention with asecuring attachment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Shown in FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pill bag 100 according to theinvention. The pill bag 1 is made of a heat-weldable compound sheetmaterial 1 or any other material that is know in the art that will allowa material of different composition than the sheet material 1 to besecurely attached to the sheet material 1. In the present example atwo-layered sheet material comprising an inner layer 10 of a plastic orother material that will prevent its contents from contamination and maybe secured to a re-closeable opening 6 by heat, mechanical seal oradhesive. Said inner layer 10 material to maintain the pills in afashion so that they do not rattle, but remain in a contaminate freeatmosphere. The outer portion of the sheet material may be made up ofany material securable to the inner layer 10, but is preferable of adecorative type that is pleasing to the user of the pill bag 100. Thebag has a continuous face 2 shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 2. At thelower end portion of the bag 100 is bottom 3 formed by a seam 5 betweenthe end portion 4 of continuous face 2. The seaming of continuous face 2is carried out in the conventional manner by the action of heat, sewing,gluing or pressure.

As clearly shown in FIG. 1, a top portion of the bag 100 is providedwith a re-closable opening 6, which provides access to the interior ofthe bag 100. As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, opening 6 is formed as athreaded closure with a socket 7 penetrating the bag 100. The inner endof the socket 7 has a connecting portion 8, that may or may not bethreaded, which is it secured to the inner wall surface 9 of the bag100. This securing may also be between the inner layer on the outerdecorative layer. In other words, the outside layer of decorativematerial may be secured to the other surface of connecting portion 8with the inner layer being connected to the inner surface of connectingportion 8. The location of the connecting portion 8 as to the innerlayer or the outer decorative layer is not critical as long as theconnecting portion 8 is secure to the two layer pill bag 100.

Socket 7 is provided with outer screw threads or a snap lock forengagement with inner screw threads or snaplock of a removable screw cap13.

FIG. 2 shows screw cap 13 in an unscrewed position separate from socket7.

The effect of the invention and the advantages obtained thereby shallnow be explained with reference to opening and closing the threadedclosure of the bag.

Proceeding from the state shown in FIG. 2, when the threaded closure isclosed by tightening screw cap 13 on socket 7, a torque is generatedwhich has to be transmitted to top of the bag 100 by connecting surface8.

The screw cap of the threaded closure may of course be provided with aknown pilfer proof arrangement, to prevent accidental opening of thethreaded closure.

Instead of the pill bag 100 being of two materials, it may be of justone or a composite of two or more materials. It may have an innersurface 300 as shown in FIG. 3 that is heat or adhesive weldablecompound that attaches to the re-closable opening 6 having on top ofit's a cushion material 200 to protect against content damage attachedto inner surface 300, re-closable opening 6 or both as shown in FIG. 4.Still further a decorative surface 400 may be attached to cushionmaterial 200 or inner surface 300 if cushion material 200 is not used.Decorative surface 400 may be attached to surface 200, if used. Or innersurface 300 or re-closable opening 6.

Cap 13 may or may not have a medical alert symbol in relation thecontents of pill bag 100.

As shone in FIG. 6, the pill bag 100 may have a securing hook 110 orother securing means known in the art for securing the bag to a keychain or necklace to prevent loss of the pill bag 100.

Layer 1, as shown in FIG. 3, of heat weldable compound sheet materialmay be of medium weight plastic securely attached to the neck of thescrew top 13.

As shown in FIG. 4 layer 2 is or may he a cushion material forprevention of pill breakage. This layer 2 is or may be made up for athin quilt like material as known in the art. The layer may be glued orsecured just above the neck of the container 100.

As shown in FIG. 5, layer 3 is the other portion of container 100 thatwill cover layers 1 and 2. This layer 3 will butt up against cap 13 whencap 13 is secured on threaded surface 7.

As shown in FIG. 6 a hoop 200 may be secured to container 100 to allowthe container 100 to be secured to a key chain or necklace or othermethod known in the art to prevent lost of the container 100.

The invention being thus described, it will he obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

1. A closable prescription bag made of a heat-weldable sheet material,said bag comprising: a front face and a rear face connected to oneanother along their edges. a re-closable threaded closure provided atthe top of the front and rear faces. said re-closable threaded closureincluding a socket formed with screw threads for engagement with screwthreads of a removable screw cap. said socket of said threaded closurepenetrating the bag and having its inner end secured to an inner wallsurface of the bag with the aid of contact surface.
 2. A bag accordingto claim 1, wherein a lower portion of said bag is formed with sealingthe front and rear faces of the bag.
 3. A gag according to claim 1,wherein the inner surface of the heat-weldable sheet material preventsthe contents of the bag from rattling.
 4. A closable prescription bagmade of a sheet material securable to another a different material, saidbag comprising: a front face and a rear face connected to one anotheralong their edges. a re-closable threaded closure provided at the top ofthe front and rear faces. said re-closable threaded closure including asocket formed with screw threads for engagement with screw threads of aremovable screw cap. said socket of said threaded closure penetratingthe bag and having its inner end secured to an inner wall surface of thebag with the aid of contact surface.